General store is one stop on History 101 tour

Among the colorful and ever-changing storefronts of downtown Mount Airy sits a quiet, dark building that hides a surprisingly vivid and unique interior.

The average pedestrian may not give Howard Parzow's Country and Drug Store Museum a passing glance, but visitors who have been inside know the treasure of the authentic general store that is occasionally opened up for tours, as it was Friday afternoon as part of the town's History 101 celebration.

Large black shades block the store from damaging sunlight that beats on large plate glass windows, protecting a large collection of antiques, owner Howard Parzow said.

His interest began when, as a child, Parzow would visit a relative's general store in Pennsylvania, and grew from there.

"I love American history," he said. "It [the collection] was one thing that I bought at an antique show and it blossomed from there. I started at 21 and I'm still collecting. I don't see it stopping."

The passion has spilled into his personal life, founding his career as an estate auctioneer. The collection soon outgrew his Gaithersburg house.

The W.R. Rudy building on Main Street in Mount Airy was originally built in 1888, then rebuilt in 1903 after being destroyed by fire. It has passed through three owners' hands, the first being a town druggist who ended up as the Maryland Commissioner of Motor Vehicles responsible for getting lines painted on roads.

Parzow bought 10 S. Main St. in 1976 after it served years as an active drug store in Mount Airy, and he soon set on his dream of restoring it.

The building's restoration was extensive: roof, floors, heating system, electrical system and ceilings. "You do a little at a time," he said. "It's a labor of love."

Walking into the Main Street building is like entering another era. Everything except the candy displayed is original — no reprints or recreations. The store would have carried not just medicines, but paint, hats, shoes and glass. It served as the first post office in Mount Airy. And it had gambling machines men used to wager their tobacco away. Parzow strives to stay true to all facets of its existence.

The store seems particularly authentic due to the amount of merchandise — boxes of the same product line the shelves just like there would be multiples in a real store 100 years ago. Upstairs, there's even more.

"I am impressed," said Timatha Pierce, executive director of The Historical Society of Carroll County, who said she has driven by and always been curious about what was in the storefront. "This is incredible. I've never seen anything like this."

Everything in the store is dated from the 1870's to the 1920's. Parzow's excitement spills over when giving tours — pointing out favorite pieces: a sample horse collar, a sign for cough drops, an extremely small corset.

"Back then things were colorful and attracted attention; there was no TV or radio," he said, pointing out that advertising in general stores at that time was artistic, with a certain flair to it. "I'm fascinated by the color, the lithograph is just awesome."

Barbara Beverungen, manager of the Carroll County Economic Development Office of Tourism pointed out how well-preserved many of the antiques are. "Why someone saved it, who knows?" Parzow said surveying the full shelves. Many products have been untouched and unopened.

"This is the thrill of my hunt," Parzow said, looking on a case of filled cigarette cases. "To find something unopened and in prime condition."

And hunt he does. Parzow attends auctions that span states, looks online and negotiates with private dealers. Some newly acquired signs above the soda fountain took 25 years to obtain.

"When I come back, I know just where it's going to go," he said of acquiring new pieces. "Sometimes you just need to move 15 things…you get addicted to it."

The store is full of the unfamiliar and the surprisingly familiar. Williams Root Beer Extract (to be mixed with water for the soda) and Dan Patch Fine Cut Tobacco line the shelves next to Wrigley's Spearmint Gum and Planters Peanuts. Parzow opens the museum to share his fascination with others. "People are shocked when they come in here," he said. "They totally enjoy it; that's why I let the public in."

Parzow often gives tours to groups: antique car clubs, retirement communities and scout groups. He said he enjoys having younger people in the museum, a glimpse into the time before video games and cell phones. The museum has only in recent years become available to the public and Parzow gives the tours by appointment.

Mount Airy resident Dorothy Watkins, was in the museum on Friday afternoon.

"You could spend a week in here," Watkins said. Her daughter, Janet Haines agreed. "I'm glad he opens it like this," Haines said, saying she had been meaning to call for a tour, but now planned on it next time her daughter visits.

The Friday tours were just one segment of the town's "History 101" event, organized by the Mount Airy Main Street Association, Mount Airy Historical Society and Mount Airy Branch Library this year.